[Months Before the War]
A week later, during the first quiet morning of the academy's long break, a letter arrived.for Draven.
The envelope was marked with the golden seal of Ravenwood's Knight Department. Draven sat by the window of his room, rain tapping against the glass, when he opened it.
It congratulated him.
He had been chosen — along with the most promising students of the Knight Department — to train under the Holy Knights of St. Eldred's Church for the next four months. A rare opportunity. An honor. A privilege.
He should have felt pride. Instead, all he felt was an emptiness that didn't fit anywhere.
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The St. Eldred's Church stood on the Southern Continent — white spires, marble courtyards, and long halls echoing with the hymns of faith. The place smelled of sanctified incense and steel oil, where prayers and weapon drills shared the same rhythm.
Draven adapted quickly. Of course he did. He always had.
